


Out, Damned Spot!

by rosieyixing



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: (but like happy open ended), Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst and Feels, Apprentice Jeongin, BusBoy!Jeongin, Diners, Gen, Lee Felix (Stray Kids) is a Sweetheart, Magical Realism, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, References to Depression, Slice of Life, long walks, the others make brief appearances, we’ll see how it goes hehe, witch!chan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:01:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23685820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosieyixing/pseuds/rosieyixing
Summary: Jeongin works the night shifts at the heartbreaker diner, where he meets the peculiar moon witch, Bang Chan. As it turns out, a smilecansave people.The one where Jeongin tries and fails at pushing the important people in his life away.
Relationships: Bang Chan & Yang Jeongin | I.N, Yang Jeongin | I.N & Everyone
Kudos: 24





	1. The Heartbreaker Diner

**Author's Note:**

> i wanted to write something short and bittersweet, but i personally don't like my characters ending up unhappy. With that in mind, enjoy!
> 
> (also, lets not mention how i totally could have written this in a world based in realism but i couldn't help. myself. from. adding. the extra pizzazz of magic.)
> 
> _Lord, I no longer believe_  
>  _Drowned in living waters_  
>  _Cursed by the love that I receive_
> 
> Mystery of Love - Sufjan Stevens

❦

Jeongin tries to hold in the ugly sadness that runs rampant inside of him. 

He tries -- he _does_ , but it swarms inside of him like locusts, coats his insides like a thick inky black stain that won't rub off. He makes himself laugh, the huff of air the only thing that disturbs the silence. _Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 1_. 

Seeing as he has a sense of humour, maybe it isn't all that bad. 

He can still get out of bed, and he can still smile when he needs to, like when one of his senior coworkers tell a joke and expect him to not leave them hanging, he can laugh. 

It's only when he's alone that he has trouble with all of that - functioning like a normal stupid human being, or whatever it is semi mentally stable people do. But lately... it's been hard not letting his mask of _i'm alright_ fall off and break into shards in front of the near-strangers he interacted with nearly every day at his workplace. 

A damp washing cloth startles him back into the real world. "You get paid to pick up after customers, not stare off into nine realms." His boss, who works and owns the restaurant twenty-four hours a day, doesn't even look at him as he apologizes, the apples of his cheeks going bright red from embarrassment. "Sorry, sir."

His tummy gurgles in hunger, Jeongin stilling as he looks down reproachfully. He just had his break, and he still had long hours ahead of him before he could do anything about the gnawing in his stomach. 

With a sigh, he picks up the slack, placing dirty plates in the ugly red bin as he busses the counters.

Sometimes he wants his life to change. He wants it to be different from his everyday routine of part-time classes and shifts that feel far too long for what he's being paid for. He wants to not go home to a small bachelor apartment, that doesn't even deserve the title apartment with how it's basically a glorified basement. Whatever keeps the unfavourable weather out though, right? 

"Hey kid, you missed a spot," a customer who sits alone in the dark corner calls out to him, beckoning him closer. He has to skirt past the late-night customers who are donned with glitter and their going out attire that reeks of alcohol after a night out before he can get to the man who called for him. He spots a knocked over beer bottle, probably from one of the many patrons who were coming and going out of the diner for their late-night fix of greasy food. "Sorry about that," he says, placing the bottle in his bin and wiping up the mess that was probably too close for comfort when trying to eat. He winces, before noticing the plain chicken wrap the man was eating, an idea popping up in his head. "If you want, I can get you another order of that, on the house of course." 

The man, blonde, and perhaps a regular now that Jeongin can clearly see his face, looks up at him in surprise. However, like anyone in this part of town, he doesn't refuse the freebie that's in front of him. "Sure, I'd like that." Jeongin nods and is about to leave before the man starts talking again.

"Aren't you a little young to be working this late?" The customer asks, taking a sudden interest in Jeongin. In the godforsaken name of customer service, he tries to smile as he says, "unless you consider twenty young? I get that a lot though." 

The man hums, and Jeongin leaves him with, "I'll go get that order for you, then." 

When he gets back, after punching in his order and rounding up any glaring mess that'd get him yelled at by his boss, Jeongin places the fresh order of food down on the man's table. "Enjoy."

"Mmm, hold on a second," the man says, gesturing for Jeongin to sit across from him as he sits back and offers a smile. The man has grey eyes, and Jeongin knows he's in the presence of a witch of the moon court as he sits down mindlessly. 

"My name's Chan," the man says, placing the basket of the chicken wrap and fries down in front of him as he wipes his mouth with a napkin, "take it, you look like you need it." 

Jeongin stutters, looking out to see if any checkered uniforms were around before looking back at Chan, who nods encouragingly at him to eat his food. "Go on then, what's with the apprehension?" 

Jeongin doesn't want to upset a witch of the moon court, of all people, and reaches for a fry. "Sorry, it's just my boss." He says behind his hand. 

A glint of playfulness shines on Chan's face. "Don't worry about the old man, I've known him for a long time." 

Jeongin nods, and finds himself reaching for more fries out of hunger, and then he's reaching for the chicken wrap. The lettuce and caesar chicken taste like heaven on his taste buds, when lately the only thing he could eat tasted like ash. "I know, it's good right?"

Jeongin agrees. "The cook would kill anyone who disagrees." He's even had a soupy spoon thingy thrown at him when an old lady couldn't taste the heat in his special chilli Tuesdays. Somehow, he'd still gotten in trouble for the mess when it wasn't even his fault. 

Chan hums, and smiles across the booth as if the next thing he's about to say won't make Jeongin's heart stutter in his chest, "quit the diner and work for me instead." 

The man laughs when Jeongin chokes on the fries gliding down his throat, the boy reaching for the milkshake that definitely wasn't his to grab and gulping it down with the fries. "Excuse me?" The milkshake cup slams down on the table. 

The man shrugs on his jean jacket, the blue denim stark against the all-black of his outfit. "The Good Shop on the corner of Third street. You know it?" 

"Yes? Sir- I'm not going to quit my job for a stranger-" Jeongin's words go unheard by the grinning witch. 

"-Great! show up on Saturday, yeah?" Chan says, slapping down a card and a few bills of cash, before slipping away in the crowded diner. 

Jeongin watches him disappear, before picking up the crisp looking card. It was black, with purple foiled words on it that read out the contact details of what Jeongin assumed was the moon witch's. He pockets it unthinkingly at the familiar yell of his name as he scrambles up in a panic. 

_"Coming!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's no plot planned out for this, i kind of just wrote without thinking and ended up with this, but i do intend to continue this! let me know what you thought. x


	2. Unorthodox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Good Shop and it's weird apprentices.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I stretch out my hand_   
>  _Dye me like the red sunset light_   
>  _So that you won't lose me_
> 
> Colors - DAY6

❦

Jeongin doesn't know why he's here. 

He looks up at the sign that hangs from a rusting black metal pole, mounted on the side of an old building that rested on the corner of Third and Main street. 

He wasn't going to come here, initially, he was going to finish an essay and then head to his shift, but the restlessness that overcame him had him thinking if he didn't up and out of the four walls of his tiny apartment he'd end up doing something stupid like impulsively shave his head -- and he's trying not to do any startling transformations just yet. 

He wants to at least save that for his winter semester. 

Back to the main problem. He's been standing here for a good ten minutes and the eyes on the back of his head as he kicks a stone across the pavement. 

The bells above the door jingle above his head, and not because he opened the door to the store. "Welcome to the good shop, where we sell any and every kind of trinket you need, I've been watching you pace a hole into the ground for a while now and couldn't take it any longer. Please come in." 

Jeongin stares in surprise and lets the witch who isn't Chan guide him inside the place. "My name's Minho, let me know if you need anything." 

"A customer? Finally!" A new voice cheers from above him. Jeongin looks up to find a pixie flying among the many books in the bookshelves that lined the cylinder walls. The light filtering in through the big window has the apprentice's wings glinting prettily, rainbows reflecting off of the pixie wings. 

"Actually..." he trails off, his voice biting off, not even loud in the first place. 

"What was that?" Minho says as he checks the invoices for the new set of ground herbs they just ordered. He flips the papers on the clipboard and throws a glance back at him. 

"Uh, I'm actually not a customer. Is Bang Chan here?" He sticks to near the door and Felix lands softly beside him, a few thick books in his hands. 

"Ah, now it makes sense," Felix says, grinning at him. "What does?" Jeongin asks, but it goes unanswered as Felix gestured for him to follow him. 

"Chan is out running errands right now, is there anything we could help with?" Felix thumps the books down onto the checkout counter, an old thing that looked like it belonged in a government building. 

"I'm not... sure? He just told me to show up." 

"Oh, did he?" Minho says sarcastically, but Jeongin doesn't feel any spite in it. "We need to stop him from doing this, Lix. Especially when he isn't here to warmly welcome him in the first place." 

Felix, however, gets excited. "Oh my gosh, ignore him! Looks like you'll be our future employee, huh?" 

Jeongin immediately shakes his head. "No, no, I actually came here to tell him, clearly, that I wasn't interested..." 

Minho scoffs to himself before smiling at him. "How polite of you, but that's not how it works."

At Jeongin's confused look, the moon witch takes pity on him. "Let me guess, you felt like you couldn't come here without a reason despite wanting to, so you told yourself you were only coming out of some sense of manners when in reality, the crazy moon witch has you intrigued." Jeongin blinks, a little shocked at the accuracy. "N-no! I really am here to tell him, _firmly_ , that I decline his offer." Jeongin says. 

"Don't worry, we've all been there." Minho pats his shoulder understandingly, and Jeongin doesn't know how to feel about that. 

The pixie abandons the old books to wrap an arm around Jeongin's shoulder. "So when you do start working here, you need to know that mixing the mortar and pestle sets with the cursed objects is a major no no unless you want to get vibe checked, which I personally do not recommend." 

"Why do you have cursed objects in the first place?" Jeongin fails at keeping the screech out of his voice. Felix and Minho just look at each other, the both of them failing at coming up with an answer and that only serves to concern Jeongin more the longer he stays in the shop. "Doesn't matter, just don't do it." Minho finally says, nodding resolutely to himself. 

Jeongin doesn't know if he's being rude, but he can't help himself from feeling skeptical about the place. First, he somehow allowed himself to be talked into showing up at some witch shop, and now two of said weird witch's apprentices were convincing him this was a terrible idea in the first place. He knew a witch's affair was their own and not to be inspected too closely but he can't help with how Minho's eyes seem to be a darker shade of grey -- the ashy colour a stark difference from that of a witch of the moon court. 

He doesn't even know what to think when he looks at Felix, the grey eyes nowhere to be found. Not to mention - the boy was a _pixie_.

"You look like you want to ask something," Minho looks at him pointedly, his dark grey eyes making his stare seem more intense than it is. 

Felix looks like he's expecting it as Jeongin startles, his cheeks heating up at getting caught for staring so blatantly. 

"I-sorry, it's just," Jeongin escapes Felix's warmth, mourning how nice it felt. "How exactly did you become an apprentice?" 

"Half-witch, half-pixie, whatever. It's a little unorthodox around here, so you'll fit right in." Felix gives as an explanation. 

The bells jingle above the door before he can respond to that. "Hello! Welcome to the good shop." Both Felix and Minho call out. 

"Why hello," Chan sings out. "Oh, _hi_ ," Chan says again when he spots Jeongin between the two apprentices. 

Minho sighs knowingly. "Do not tell me you forgot this kid was coming." 

Jeongin doesn't know why he feels a pang hit him at the words. He stuffs it down when Chan laughs out, "It... may have slipped my mind." 

"Ugh," Minho throws his hands in the air and goes back to checking the invoices, "I can't with him." 

"Oh come on," Chan says, smiling good-naturedly. Jeongin has a feeling the moon witch is often easily forgiven. "They treat you alright?" Chan asks Jeongin now. 

"Of _course_ we did, who do you think we are?" Felix butts in. 

"Oh no, I never expected anything less." Chan ruffles the pixies hair and stops right in front of Jeongin. 

"So did you quit yet?" 

Minho bursts out into laughter. "Tactical." 

"Where did you work before here?" Felix asks him, ever so brightly. 

Jeongin feels his spine go rigid. "I didn't quit, and I don't work here, and I just came here to tell you that, and now that I did," Jeongin says, stepping aside from everyone, "I'm going to get going now. I work the night shift." 

"Heartbreaker Diner, Lix. You know what, we should go eat there after I close up, it's been a while." Chan says, not even acknowledging Jeongin's words. 

Jeongin just nods to himself and clasps his hands together. These people were _weird._ "Okay. I said what I had to. Goodbye now." 

The three of them watch as Jeongin makes his way out.

Minho whistles as the door swings shut. "You had to choose a hard one, huh?" 

"What's hard about it?" Chan says, grinning as if he doesn't have a care in a world. Even if no one says it, the two apprentices knew that _Chan_ knew exactly what he was doing, despite acting like an aloof airhead. 

"He seems nice. I can't wait until he works here." Felix says. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually having a lot of fun writing this ^-^ minlix were a bit quirky but they mean well! expect the chaotic trio to make an appearance in the next chapter at the diner!! :D


	3. Trustworthy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's just another night at the diner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"'Cause I need you now but ___  
>  _I don't know you yet,"_
> 
> _IDK You Yet - Alexander 23_  
> 

❦

  
  
  


"Aren't you going to clean this up?" Jeongin asks, hopping over the mess that was blocking the locker room. The cook looks at him and then mumbles something that Jeongin doesn't care too much to listen too. He was already a few minutes late, and he needed to rush if he didn't want to cause trouble. 

Except that when he gets back out in his ugly uniform, the mess is still there and he almost steps in it. Again. 

"uhhh? Jean...?" He looks over to the cook who rolls his eyes. If Jeongin looks closer he can spot the telltale signs of being overworked, from the wrinkled shirt to his deep purple under eyes. Heartbreaker Diner? If breaking your employees counted, he guesses the restaurant lived up to its name. 

"Never mind…" He frowns at the mess. The hot liquid and broken coffee cups probably violating some health code. He's about to start cleaning it up when the swinging doors open.

"Jeongin, you were supposed to be out there five minutes ago--!" Jeongin freezes at the familiar voice. "...What is this mess?"

He looks up only to find the face of his angry boss. "Uh, um," he wrings the cloth in his hand and looks between him and the sad mess on the floor. "I.. the coffee," 

"Clean this up you bumbling idiot, and get out there before I fire you." his boss growls and Jeongin keeps his head bowed as the vampire huffs and walks past him. He blinks back the tears that spring up. 

His shoulders sag and he immediately rushes to sweep the mess up and mop up the liquid. He tries not to focus on how the entire time he was being reprimanded, his coworker hadn't said a single word, had let him take the fall for their boss's anger. 

He doesn't speak a single word to Jean as he throws the broken cup in the garbage. 

The diner is busy as it always is, especially the site of the odd job workers who were making a pitstop for fuel before making their way to their side hustle. Some of them were even a little dangerous looking with their combat boots and dark leather -- but Jeongin found they were often the ones who tipped the most.

If he's being honest, the morning shift was probably easier, but the characters that came throughout the night was a small joy of Jeongin's. He liked to imagine what it'd be like to be them, like the writers munching on a burger, or the teenagers who definitely shouldn't be here on a school night. 

He was denied that kind of freedom as a teenager himself, so it was fun watching people enjoy themselves. If there was one thing that got him through his shifts, it would be the daydreams he procured when bussing a table. 

  
However, it feels like a nightmare when a familiar trio weaves their way in through the crowded diner. 

Maybe he's exaggerating, but the loud laughter that follows the fresh-off-work witches that he practically ran away from earlier today has him ducking behind the retro high-counter tops. "What are they doing here," Jeongin whispers to himself. 

He shakes his head and snaps himself out of it. "What are you doing?" There was no reason for him to be hiding out, at his diner! That's right, this was his territory!

Or maybe not so much, seeing as he's only here because he has nowhere else to go, but goddammit, he wants to claim something as his and this shitty diner is his! 

"Yo, Jeong," one of the servers, who he most definitely pretends to like, shoves a notepad and pen into his hands. "Clarissa dipped and I need you to get a few orders before Ryujin gets here." 

"W-what? Are you kidding?" Jeongin feels himself freeze up at the prospect of having to talk to the patrons of the heartbreaker diner. He was a busboy for a reason . "Nope, unless you want the boss on all our backs, you'll suck it up for the next thirty minutes." The server blocks him from running away, ignoring his spluttering excuses. 

"You got this, thanks, Jeong." The server picks up his tray and speeds off back into the kitchen for more orders. He most definitely doesn't got this, but whatever. 

"hmmf," he breathes out, walking out on the floor. "Okay." 

His first two customers are two old ladies, and seeing as his voice doesn't shake too much, he thinks he can maybe, perhaps, last 29 minutes and 35 seconds more. 

"Jeongin!" The pixie boy's voice blends right in with the busy night scene of the diner. He forces a smile onto his face. "Hey... what can I get you guys?" 

"No bussing tables tonight?" Chan asks, but it sounds friendly so Jeongin doesn't take it personally. 

"Uhhh, I got promoted..." Jeongin omits. "What can I get you?" 

"You bus tables?" Felix asks, at the same time Minho says, "is it usually this busy?" 

"The heartbreaker diner is a hot spot. I'll just get a burger and fries, Jeongin." Chan smiles up at him and then eyes the diner around them. Jeongin doesn't need to look to see how busy it is. He knows - seeing as he works it nearly every night. 

"I used to work at a barbecue place... weekend shifts looked like this too," Minho says offhandedly. "I'll get the same thing as Chan." 

"I'll get a milkshake and fries, please!" Jeongin nods as he scribbles it down, making a mental note to not try and step on the cook's toes again as he pockets the notepad. 

"Felix, are you sure? You didn't take your break today either," Minho says lightly. Felix nods assuredly. "Mhm, I had a pretty big lunch before I came in today." 

"If you say so. Jeongin, did you at least get a bite to eat after you left the shop?" Chan asks him, and Jeongin tries not to freeze at his question. What was it with these witches and their sense of boundaries? (or lack thereof!) 

"uh... I didn't have time. Would you like any drinks with your meals?" Jeongin clicks his pen as he waits for their response. He currently doesn't want to think about how his only square meal happens during his 10-minute break in the back room of the restaurant, but from the understanding that fills their eyes, it only reminds him further.

"That was hours ago..." Felix says, and it's the first time he's heard the pixie's voice sound so... quiet. He doesn't know if he likes that (much less be the cause of it), or not.

"How about water? I'll go get those for you." Jeongin smiles his best smile and swivels around to look for the glasses. 

He fills it with ice and drops the drinks off with a nod, escaping back into the kitchen to put in their order. He contemplates risking his entire job and going back to bussing tables when he gets swept up in taking orders and refilling drinks and carrying out trays of greasy food and ding new order ding orders up! ding ding!

"Jeonginnie!" Minho calls out, the apprentice seemingly more cheerful than that of his lax attitude up until now. Jeongin shakes off his surprise and runs up to the table, noticing the new faces that cram into the booth. 

"This is Jisung and Changbin," Minho says, pointing out each of them. Jeongin tilts his head -- Changbin? That name sounded familiar. He shoves that thought to the back of his head and forgets about it when he realizes the both of them are looking up at him expectantly. 

"Oh! Hi, what can I get ya?" Jeongin throws his charming smile on. The two of them give him their order and Jeongin repeats his cycle of non-stop work that he isn't paid enough for again. 

His initial thirty minutes of covering for someone stretches out and soon the hour is up and Jeongin finds himself cleaning up tables for new customers only to take their order right after. 

He's essentially doing the work of two people and Jeongin can only try to not think about how brutal this shift is in order to make it through the night. He doesn't even know if their other coworker showed, if someone else clocked in for her, or if he was even going to be paid for the extra work he was pulling. 

He assumes this no-show was Ryujin’s untimely two-week notice. He was starting to think maybe he should follow her same footsteps. 

When time seems to finally slow down for him, Jeongin dumps a bin full of dirty dishes at the back and walks back out into the dimly lit hallway where the washrooms were located. He sighs heavily and steels himself. Just a few more hours. 

"Jesus, kid." A gruff voice breaks him out of his blank staring contest with the tiled floor. He looks up to find Changbin looking at him with an unreadable look in his eyes. 

The man looks like he hasn't slept in ages, and the tired energy only serves to spike up Jeongin's anxiety as he stands there, wondering what he must want with him.

"Sorry?"

"...nothing. Chan wanted to see you," he says, gesturing back to the seating area before slipping into the washroom. 

"oh... thank you." The door swings shut behind the short man.

"Hey hyung, is everything okay? does anyone need a refill?" Jeongin asks. He tries to sound bright, but his voice sounds exhausted even to his own ears. 

"sit down first, will you?" Chan says, gesturing to the empty seat across from him. Jeongin feels like it's their first meeting all over again, except now there was the addition of the two apprentices and Jisung looking expectantly at him. 

He shakes his hands, already shaking his head, but Chan sucks his teeth and looks up at him. "You don't want to?"

Jeongin stills, before nodding. "I can't slack on the job, you know how it is-" 

"Ahhh, I understand." Chan nods along with him and Jeongin exhales a breath of relief. He doesn't know what he'd do if his boss caught him in the wrong again. 

"What about now?" he says, and Jeongin doesn't know what he's asking at first, not until he comes completely aware of the silence that swarms over the diner. 

Jeongin gasps once he realizes. He swirls around, and just as he thought, the moon witch was playing with time. 

"You can't get caught slacking if time stops, right?"

"Aren't you breaking like five different moon court rules?! Stop that right now!" 

"This is dangerous!" He reiterates when the moon witch blinks up at him. 

"Can you just sit down for five minutes?" Chan asks, the level of seriousness in his voice making Jeongin stop. He looks at Felix who pats the seat next to him. 

He huffs, wishing the witch wasn't crazy enough to tear a hole in the time continuum. But at this point, he doesn't want to be a witness nor the sole cause of such a colossal event. 

"Fine." He sits down and he has to keep himself from grinning too quickly at the round of cheers that erupts at the table. He honestly hates how he can't stay mad at them for practically forcing him to sit down , but the longer he sits the more he feels glad for the intervention.

He tries not to roll his eyes at the big dopey smile on Chan's face. Time starts again and Jisung pats his back as he gestures him to start eating the fries that they still had. 

Time doesn't stop any time soon but it does go by quickly. 

The air is damp and cold as Jeongin digs his hands further into his pockets. He has Chan walking beside him, and the other three boys trail somewhere around them as they walk in the direction of Jeongin's apartment. 

He stumbles before stopping. For some reason, he doesn't want the rest of them to see where he lived. They were already in a shabby neighbourhood and he didn't want to give them any more ideas about 'saving him' when he owed them so much already. 

"Okay, here is enough! Thank you for walking me home," he says while bowing. 

"Are you sure?" Felix asks, pausing with Jisung next to him. "We don't mind walking further," 

Jeongin nods, maybe a little too quickly. "Yes, it's okay." He fails at holding back a yawn. 

And maybe he's too tired to filter what comes out of his mouth because he says, "I still have work in the morning… and then class... I usually like to use my walk back home to think about things." 

"Jesus kid," Changbin says while exhaling his cigarette, "working yourself into an early grave is not normal, or healthy." 

He startles because, in all honesty, he forgot the man was even there. Maybe he should start paying attention more to the people around him - or at least the people who genuinely interact with him. 

Chan looks simultaneously surprised and impressed. "What he said."

Jeongin gives them a tight smile because, for someone who admitted they worked too much, he knew it wasn't healthy. But he had no other options, and his words meant nothing to him. 

But he knows they mean well. They were perhaps the nicest group of people he's ever met, their constant kindness was starting to feel like a long fever dream that he'd wake up from. 

"Goodnight, get home safely," he says instead and shoos them off, reassuring them that he'll be fine. 

Maybe Jeongin did deserve more than what he currently had. Was it okay to trust them though? He's only known the moon witch for a couple of days now and he seemed hellbent on making sure he was okay.

As he watches the four friends walk off into the night from the steps of his basement apartment, he comes to a rather bold conclusion.

He'd quit his job first thing in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another update! ty if you're keeping up with this in real-time! I appreciate everyone that has kudos'd this <3
> 
> I finally figured out where I want this story to go ^-^


	4. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeongin hopes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Anything at all not to feel alone, ___  
>  _Anything at all just to feel whole ___
> 
> _Cause I keep mistaking loneliness for love"_
> 
> _Loneliness for Love - lovelytheband_

❦

Jeongin gave the world everything. 

He gave pieces of himself when he was left alone with his grandmother in the form of an endless smile. If he was happy, then his grandma could worry less about the boy, right? His logic was foolproof. 

He let the world take things from him.

The different things that made him happy were instead replaced with loneliness and a sense of desperation to fill the nothingness with gruelling work. He may have let the world take things from him, but he wouldn't let it steal his sense of purpose. It was the only thing he could cling to when times got tough, like that one time a few months ago when he injured himself and had to eat the cost of the hospital bills. He was out of work for a week before his boss let him clock in. 

He often lost things that were important to him, and right now his survival was almost his number one priority. His only source of income is gone and it's why he's so conflicted now, after taking a step past the crossroads by himself. 

Jeongin walks home in the rain. He's tired, a little unsure about his life, but feeling invigorated about finally making a decision he would never be brave enough to do on his own if it weren't for Bang Chan and his two weird apprentices. 

He's getting wet to the bone with rain, but it feels like nothing. He just quit his job at the diner. 

He handed in his name-tag, stuttered through his reasonings, and bolted out of that place. He feels a little remorseful, because the heartbreak diner was one of his favourite places, despite the heavy workload. He's gonna miss all the fanciful characters and the regulars. 

Maybe Felix and Minho could make up for it, the pair far too funny than Jeongin would like to admit. Maybe they could even make up for the lack of sympathy and concern from his previous coworkers. He knows he can’t ask for too much, though. 

He sighs, hoping he didn't make the wrong decision. His grandma would actually kill him if she ever found out he was being reckless. She'd probably kill him for keeping his living situation a secret from her first, though. 

It was imperative that Jeongin at least had some form of basic income -- whether that was finishing an essay for 15 bucks, or replacing water bottles from water dispensers, Jeongin _needed_ to have some extra pocket money. 

He thinks about the first time he came down from Busan, away from the sea and comfort, for a shot at a good program at a nice college. Jeongin had been working part-time on top of his full-time studying. It was a compromise he could make, because Jeongin had so badly wanted to come to the city to prove himself and, most of all, make something out of himself. 

He had failed so badly. It nearly broke him. The course schedule soon became overwhelming, and the money he had saved up was nearly next to nothing. He could only visit his grandmother during the holidays for a few days before he had to make excuses in order to get back into the grind of things. 

With his already abysmal mental health, switching to being a part-time student when he had gotten back - it was like a flip switched. 

It took a few days before he could leave his bed. It was like one day he went to bed and couldn't get up. He was stuck. 

Eventually, with his new schedule, he managed to force himself to get up and out. He switched his part-time status at the diner to full-time and completed his schoolwork during his free time. He's been working for almost a year now, and with the semester nearly over, he wouldn’t have to worry about how much time he didn’t have in order to hand in assignments before the deadline. 

He always pays for two months' worth of rent at a time, not only to ensure a roof over his head but for an emergency situation like this. 

If he checked his bank account, aside from his basic expenses, he already had a meagre amount saved up. If he took into account his free meal at the diner during his break, he could save even more but -- he slumps against the wall he was sitting against. 

He lost that after _quitting his job._ He sighs, knowing he was probably putting too much trust into this Bang Chan character, but for once in his life, he wanted to take a leap and he _did_. 

He wants to trust Chan. 

He hopes he can. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The rain is next to none as he winds up the Main street. He's still wet, but he isn't too worried about it. He wants to get this over with, the quicker the better. 

When Jeongin walks in he's greeted with Minho, who's clearly stuck with a customer smile on his face. "Welcome to the Good Shop!" He says, far too sarcastically for Jeongin to smile at. 

“What’s wrong with you?” Jeongin says, in the form of a greeting. 

Minho scoffs as Felix rounds the corner from some of the bigger shelves and starts laughing. "I see Chan hyung's spell hasn't worn off yet." 

Minho gives them a tight smile. "I want to say for the record that he wasn't supposed to hear that part of our conversation."

"Context?" Jeongin finally asks, which Felix answers with, "Channie-hyung caught Minho being mean to a customer." 

Felix finally catches a good look at Jeongin and frowns at the soaked state he was currently in. The spell seems to wear off in front of their eyes and Minho scowls as he throws his hands on his hips. "God, finally." 

Minho unties his work apron from around his waist and smacks it on the welcome desk. “I’m taking my break, do not bother me.” He trails off through the shelves and Felix is quick to move the material off and behind the desk. 

“Is he always mean to customers?” Jeongin asks. Felix laughs and shakes his head as he opens a bag and takes out a hoodie.

“Only to a particular customer, but they don’t actually hate each other so it’s fine,” Felix explains. 

“Ah,” Jeongin says as if that made it clearer to him. He wonders who this person is, mainly because he didn’t think anyone was capable of riling Minho up so much. 

Felix comes up to him and hands him the hoodie with a look of understanding on his face as if knowing the reason Jeongin was here in the first place. “Get yourself dried up in the washroom and change into this, it’s a heck of a lot warmer than a wet shirt.” 

“Oh, thank you,” Jeongin says, feeling a warm feeling simmer in his belly at the kindness. It wasn’t really something he was used to. It must be obvious because he’s still standing in front of Felix looking dumbfounded. The pixie eventually takes pity on him and shows him the way before leaving him on his own with a smile. 

  
  
  
  


Anxiety swarms in his gut as he knocks on Chan’s office door.

The door swings open on its own and Chan spins around to greet him. “Jeongin, I was hoping to see you here today.” The book he’s holding is slammed shut as he stares at Jeongin. 

Jeongin rakes his fingers through his damp hair. Did it look too messy right now? How professional did he need to look for a job when the employer practically begged him to join?

"Bad day at work?" Chan asks with a shit-eating grin on his face. He gestures for Jeongin to come in, and the doors close behind him as Chan rounds his desk to be closer to him. 

"Not exactly." Jeongin fiddles with the sleeves of Felix's sweater. Chan seems to sense his nervousness because he stops what he's doing to give him his attention. 

Here goes nothing. "I quit my job at the diner."

Jeongin doesn't see it but Chan smiles and silently celebrates to himself. 

"Great, I'll set up an interview and we'll see if you get the job," Chan says as he tinkers around the powders near the window, his smile never leaving his face. 

Jeongin feels his blood run cold. "E-excuse me? _If?_ ”

"Mhm," Chan says, now checking on his plants. The avocados were growing nicely. "I run a very business-y business, you see. The moon court does this very annoying thing where they need to screen my employers. So, we'll see if you get the job." 

"But I _quit my job!_ " Jeongin reiterates. 

"Then we'll have the interview tomorrow! The sooner the better, right?" 

Jeongin pales but nods nonetheless. "Right." 

Right, his ass. “Excuse me for a moment.”

He excuses himself and walks out of Chan's office. Felix and Minho are nowhere in sight, and he's glad for it, less he procures a fake smile for them. 

The shop was huge and Jeongin took the liberty to trail through and exit through the back door into the alleyway that separated him away from the living world, only a few sounds of a few driving cars making its way into the alleyway.

He's currently unemployed, but for some reason, he doesn't feel as distraught as he thought he would, other than the numbing shock of Chan pulling him through hoops. If this doesn’t work out he could just get another job. Maybe he could go back to Yunho and beg for something -- he’d even carry his paint for him for a meal. 

His thoughts are cut off from the telltale sign of his phone ringing. 

He feels his face light up at the caller id. “Hi, grandma.” He bends down and hugs his knees as he hears her excited voice.

“Jeonginnie! How are you?” She says. Her voice makes him feel at ease. 

“I’m doing alright.” Could be doing worse, but he’s doing alright. 

"Are you studying well? You're keeping up with all of your classes, right?" His grandmother croons through the phone. 

"Yes, Grandma," he says, his tone sickenly sweet even to his own ears. He can't help it though - he just loves her too much. 

It wasn’t a complete lie. Keeping up with three classes wasn’t hard at all. She still didn’t know he had enrolled as a part-time student. 

“Good, good. I just wanted to call to let you know that I’ll be off on a trip to Jeju so I won’t be here to take your calls! But keep your phone on you at all times, yes? I’ll make sure to call sometime.” 

“Yes, grandma, have fun on your trip, okay?”

“Of course sweety, love you.”

“Love you.” 

He sighs at the dial tone ringing in his ear before ending the call on his end.

“That your grandma?” A voice startles him and Jeongin tenses up once he realizes it’s Minho who asked. 

He’s leaning against the door frame and Jeongin feels a little caught. “Relax, it’s nothing to be worried about. I talk to my grandparents all the time.” 

“Really?” Jeongin asks, mostly because he likes to hear new things about people, and he’s starting to learn that his initial impression of Minho isn’t the complete picture of the man.

Minho nods. “I usually help my grandpa with some yard work and the likes of that.”

“That’s nice… I can’t really help my grandma like that.” The personal words feel foreign as they leave his mouth, but he decides that it isn’t a bad feeling. “She still lives in Busan.”

“A call is still nice though, even if it's the only thing you can do.”

He hopes so. 

(Isn’t it weird, how Jeongin is always hoping?)

It wouldn't be a lie to say that after Jeongin left the Good Shop, he immediately considered begging for his job back as a busboy. He won't tell Chan that, though. 

Instead, he attends his class and when he gets home he eats a bowl of cereal for dinner while trying to not pass out. He doesn’t know why he’s been so tired. Usually, he’d have been able to stay up, but instead, he has no qualms about passing out as soon as he can.

It’s the first time in a long time that he sleeps for more than six hours. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Jeongin has a weird resume of jobs he's worked these past two years.

The first, and probably most impressive, was keeping an old writer sober before noon. Now _that_ was harder than it looked - he thought he'd be shredding papers and running for coffee at 6:00 am, but like most of his jobs, he didn't get what he expected. Needless to say, Jeongin didn't have a hard time quitting his job working for a scowling asshole who insisted on writing on a typewriter (in this day and age!). 

He spots Felix and Minho eavesdropping on the other side of the frosted glass of the door. Did they really not know that they could be seen? Probably. He should assume that they simply do not care.

Chan whistles, the nice paper Jeongin always made sure to print his resume on in his hands as he looks over his past experiences. "A 'Street Painter Assistant'?" He looks up expectantly and Jeongin straightens his back to make sure he looks as honest as possible. 

Someone snorts from outside.

"My past employer was an artist." _And illegally spray-painted on fancy buildings_ \-- but hey, Yunho told him he could and would vouch for him if any future employees came calling and the artist technically _did_ owe him for saving him from the slammer, so. Details, though. 

He doesn't offer anymore and Chan doesn't ask for more detail, either. Instead, the older man shuffles the resume on his desk and inhales. "Alright. What makes you think you are suited for this position?" 

Despite the number of times he’s gotten this question during a job interview, nothing compares to the nerves he feels now at trying to be genuine about it this time. 

"If your customers are anything like your employees, I know I can offer the service your business guarantees." He continues at Chan’s nod. “I’ve had a lot of odd jobs and I’ve learned to be… adaptable. If there’s anyone who can learn the swing of things, it’s me.” 

He honestly doesn’t know how his brain managed to squeeze out a coherent sentence under pressure, but Chan nods, looking a bit impressed at the boy's answer. Jeongin breathes a bit easier. 

“Okay, well I think that concludes our interview. Do you have any questions about the job?” Jeongin shakes his head. If he has any questions, he could easily ask while the apprentices showed him the ropes.

When he walks out into the area open to the public Minho and Felix crowd around him. “You did great Innie! You’ll totally get the job.” Felix hugs him and Jeongin tries not to look too surprised, especially when he discovers that Felix gives nice hugs. 

“You really think so?” Jeongin asks a hint of hope coating his words. 

“We know you’re a hard worker… maybe you work a little too hard, but I think you’d be perfect around here,” Minho says sincerely. 

“Don’t even worry about Chan’s higher-ups. He hires whoever he wants to! How do you think I got hired?” Felix says excitedly.

“You had trouble getting hired?” Jeongin wonders, because if Felix had moon witch blood in him, how was the possibility of Jeongin getting hired even entertainable at this point? 

“We both did. The moon courts are snobby about blood-quantum, but it’s bullshit, so don’t worry too much about it.” Minho says.

“But…” Jeongin trails off. He doesn’t know how to tell them. He feels a slight crushing feeling in his chest. It looks like he wouldn’t be getting the job. He just wishes he didn’t get his hopes up about it.

The same feeling he got when he had to quit being full-time student reels into him, and he tries not to show on his face how it felt like everything was slowly being crushed around him. This is exactly what he wanted to prevent when he tried to shoot Chan down about the idea. Good things never happened to Jeongin. Meeting Chan and the two apprentices were a cruel joke the universe must have played on him.

Minho and Felix notice the switch in the air and wait for him to continue. 

  
  
  


“I’m not a moon witch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I think it's safe to say that either this chapter or the next one will mark the halfway point of this story! I'm excited to get this finished and as always thank you for reading this! see ya in the next update <3


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